


Monsters in the Dark

by NAOA



Category: Gambit (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Blackmail, Chases, Gen, Horror, Human Experimentation, Marvel Universe, Monsters, Mutants, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NAOA/pseuds/NAOA
Summary: Gambit get's roped into tracking down an escaped experiment with Sabretooth by Mister Sinister against his will but he quickly starts to feel that this creature has to be stopped!
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I wrote this back in 2015. Please enjoy!

Remy sat in a bar downing his second beer of the night. He'd started with a few a shots but had since moved on to beer. It didn't work as fast but he thought that maybe seven shots in it didn't matter anyway. He was already drunk. Since the end of X-Factor he'd been on his own and with nothing else to do and so he'd spent his time pulling heists and getting drunk. He didn't dare head back to the mansion. Being kicked out once was enough.

Instead he whiled away the hours drinking, fighting and stealing. He found that that was what he was best at. Fucking too, he was good at that and he'd done a lot of it in the month he'd been on his own. Now he sat getting drunk and half hoping for a fight. He was tempted to remove his sunglasses, maybe if he did someone would notice and he'd get his fight. He downed the rest of his beer and ordered another one just as someone sat down heavily next to him. He looked over blearily. He was drunk and suddenly didn't know if he could hold his own in a fight, mutant powers or not. And then his eyes came into focus and he realized who was sitting next to him.

Clumsily he sprang back and let out a yelp, falling off his bar stool. "Th-the hell you doin' here?" He asked wildly. Suddenly forming words and thoughts was much easier. Fear was scaring the drunk right out of him.

Victor Creed smiled a predator's smile, all of his pointed teeth showing. "Lookin' for you."

Remy hit the flood in his haste to jump away. He tumbled off his bar stool in a drunken mess, fear setting his hair on end. "I ain't got nothin' to do wit' you!" He slurred, fighting hard to think straight.

Creed gave a dark laugh and picked up his new drink. "Sit your ass down." He growled.

Remy glared at him, trying desperately to focus. He glanced towards the door, debating weather or not he could make a get away. He was seized from his thoughts suddenly by Creed grabbing the front of his jacket and hauling him to his feet.

"Start walkin' boy"

Remy tripped over himself in his hast to comply. Sabertooth dragged him across the floor and out the door. The bar tender yelled after them that they hadn't payed but there was nothing he could do. He now regretted his determination to get drunk. He tripped over tree roots and rocks as he was pulled behind the bar and along a dirt path. "What you want from me?" he tried again. He got a little shake and was jerked along but no answer. If Creed was going to kill him he wondered why he hadn't just done it inside. Witnesses had never stopped the man before.

Suddenly he was thrown aside and he had to catch himself on a tree. "oof." His head was spinning and his stomach was churning. He thought he might puke. Being drunk and trying to fight it never went well and being manhandled didn't make things much better. He tried to calm his body down and catch his breath, holding onto the tree for support when a sudden voice made him stop.

"Well done Creed." He looked up and felt his heart stop. A man as dark as he was pale was standing in the shadows and by the glowing red eyes it could be no one other than Mister Sinister himself. "Good evening, Mr. LeBeau. I do hope you're not to inebriated to remember this conversation in the morning." Next to him Creed let out a growling chuckle.

"What you wan' from me?" He rasped. This was so much worse than just being killed by Sabertooth.

"I have a job for you."

"I ain't doin' nothin' for you."

Sinister smirked. "I don't think you can afford not to. If you don't the X-Men might find out about a few more of the things you did while in my employ and I think we both remember what happened last time something was let slip."

Remy felt a pit form in his churning stomach. "I ain't got any more secrets from 'em."

"Oh I think we both know that's not true."

"Well it wouldn't matter anyway, they kicked me out."

"Oh but you're still hoping they'll take you back and as it is they probably will eventually. They're so fond of second chances and redemption. But I think I know a few things that might make even their sycophantic belief in good waver." Sinister's eye glittered. "But blackmail is so tacky, why don't we make things much simpler? If you don't do what I tell you I'll have Victor eviscerate you." There was a pause. "Again."

Remy held on to the tree as he fought to stand. He glared from Sinister to Sabertooth and knew there was nothing he could do. "Alright." He said finally. "What do you want."

Sinister smiled again. "Good boy. Now it's nothing particularly nasty. I had an escape. One of my experiments got loose two days ago and I need it tracked down."

"Lucky him." Remy spat into the dark ground.

"But not lucky for anyone else. The creature has one goal and that is the eradication of all life on earth. He'll go on a killing spree until he has nothing left to kill. Birds, animals, humans, mutants. All life and when he's killed everything. . . well even I don't know what he'll do then. It might be interesting to see but not worth it. I need him captured. Preferably alive. That's where you come in. I can't trust Victor not to kill but I think you might be able to stop him. I don't care how, last time you used your body. Hopefully this time you won't need to."

"How will I know when I find him?" Remy asked.

Sinister's smile widened. "Glad to see you're taking an interest. You'll know because there will be an abundance of dead animals and there will be dead people. He may even kill the flowers. But when you find him he will look like a man but he won't be. He will be faster, stronger and more intelligent then a man but don't mistake it. There will be no reasoning with this creature. He is devoid of empathy and compassion. Completely fixated on killing. He has little socialization so he probably won't be among people and I doubt you will find much in the way of conversation with him. He's rather fixated."

Remy felt his stomach clench and that didn't help the nauseous feeling either. "So he's a monster."

"Oh completely." Sinister said it with such simple ease that he almost seemed proud. "Victor can fill you in on anything more you need and he can track the creature. My belief is that he's out west. Oklahoma perhaps. You might want to catch him before he gets too far. Undoubtedly he's going to head for Texas and look for the largest concentration of human life. I advise you to catch him before he reaches that." Creed snickered as though the idea of a mass murdering monster being loose in a city was amusing. Sinister cast him an approving eye. "And I will warn you, every day you don't find him he's going to kill. Once the news reports start popping up I think the trail should become much clearer."

And then suddenly he was gone and Remy fell to his knees, puking at last. His stomach uncleched and he found himself vomiting violently. He heard Sabretooth laugh and after a few minuets of panting and spitting he looked up. His head was clearer now, he had puked up most of the alcohol in his system. He got to his feet unsteadily and wiped his mouth. "What're you laughing at?"

Sabretooth chuckled and reached out, putting his arm around Remy's shoulders. He gave a tight squeeze that came off as more threatening than anything else and then with a sudden force Remy found himself on the ground again. He started to get up when he felt Sabretooth's boot land on his chest. "Listen boy, you pull any of the shit you tried in the tunnels and I'll rip your damn head off. You hear me?"

Glaring up at him with a growing head ache Remy nodded, when the pressure of the boot let up he rolled out from under and got to his feet. "I ain't got a choice in dis one." He muttered, straightening his coat.

"Damn right you don't." Sabretooth sneered at him. "Gonna be just like old times. You lead me to 'em and I gut 'em."

"Thought you were the one tracking."

He was right but Creed just continued to sneer. "Get some sleep. We're leaving at dawn."

Remy wondered vaguely if he could skip town but decided against it. If he did Sinister would just tell the others whatever horrid thing he'd done. Instead he dragged himself back to his motel room and tried to sleep puking had brought on an early hang over and he still felt sick. He fell into an uneasy sleep and tried to forget his raging head ache and whatever was to come.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as the sun rose Sabretooth kicked in the door to Remy's bedroom, causing him to bolt out of bed. He grabbed up the alarm clock next to him and charged it, ready throw when he realized who it was. Slowly he put it aside and winced at the bright light coming from the doorway. Creed stood learning at him. "Wakey wakey kiddo. We gotta hit the road."

Remy winced and reached for his sunglasses. "Gimmie a minuet to get dressed." He mumbled, mouth and throat dry.

Creed snickered and left, shutting the door. Remy was sure he was just outside and he hurried around the room, changing clothes and packing up his belongings. After only five minutes and a handful of tap water he was outside and ready.

Creed stood leaning against a huge motorcycle. He grinned wickedly in the sunlight and Remy ignored him as he threw his bag over his shoulder and climbed onto his own bike. "Which way we headed?" He asked.

"See the news this morning?" Creed asked.

"You know I ain't."

Creed tossed a wrinkled newspaper at him. Headline read: Entire Ranch Found Dead! Ranch Owner and Family Found Dead Along With All Live Stock. The article went on to mention some obscure place in Oklahoma. He looked up. "Mon Dieu."

"Little bastard's already making a use of his time."

Remy looked up from the paper and tossed it back. Creed tossed it on the ground and they both mounted their bikes, kicking off.

They were about twenty miles outside of St. Louis. On average if they stuck to the back roads and didn't run into any cops they would make it to the ranch in less than a day. That worked fine with Remy the sooner they could get the job done and he could get back to feeling sorry for himself the better. They were silent as they rode. Out along the highway there was nothing but the sound of their motors and an occasional passing truck. That was fine too, the less he had to talk to Creed the better.

They didn't stop for lunch, if anything they only sped on. The few times he'd bothered to look at the speedometer he'd seen they were pushing eighty mph the whole trip, sometimes more. Outside Tulsa they were flagged by a deputy and it had been messy. Remy had had to stop Sabretooth from trying to kill the man and it was only by accepting an eight hundred dollar speeding ticket they made it out with no blood. He's accepted with a fake name. His bike was registered to an alias anyway. Sabretooth had laughed and called him pathetic for doing so but he preferred it to watching the deputy get his head torn off.

They headed on and reached the ranch a little around noon but couldn't get close. Police tape surrounded the whole place but it couldn't hide the grizzly sight of dead and mangled cows in the pasture. Buzzards circled and the sound of happy flies was audible even from a distance. Creed sniffed the air almost like he enjoyed the sent and Remy thought that maybe he did.

"Got his sent." He said after a moment. "Boss was right. Bastard's heading for Texas."

Remy looked southward with a jolt of trepidation. Dallas and Austin were pretty big cities. If a monster like what they were chasing got loose in one it would be a disaster. They headed on down the highway, following the creature's trail. All along the road he caught sight of dead animals. Dead deer, rabbits, squirrels, opossums. Too many for road kill and they were all mangled. Some of them had their necks broken, others had their heads crushed but none of them looked like a car had done it. Occasionally he saw a dead bird. He wondered what kind of creature could grab a bird out of the air and break it's neck.

They stopped for the night along the side of the road. Remy slept as far away from Creed as he could and he slept with one eye open. He didn't trust the man. He had seen what he was capable of.

The next morning they headed on. The road was the same. There were dead animals all along it and then suddenly Creed stopped and pulled off to the shoulder. He sniffed the air and looked around. It was unsettling. The land was flat and dotted with trees. A slight wind rustled the branches and waved the grass. Victor sniffed into the wind. "He didn't stick to the road." He sniffed again. "He's close." A third sniff. "He's eating."

Remy glanced at him, a shiver going down his spine. "How c'n you tell?"

"I can smell blood. A lot of it. And other stuff."

He didn't want to know what the 'other stuff' was. They pulled off into a ditch and Creed started into the woods, abandoning his bike.

"You got any of those little playing cards with you?" Remy took out an ace and a queen. "Get 'em ready."

He wanted to ask what exactly they were looking for but didn't. They trekked through the trees as quietly as they could. For someone as large and aggressive as Sabretooth he could be remarkable quiet when he wanted to. Probably made him all the more deadly. After a short while Creed put up his hand and motioned to be quiet. Remy held his breath and peered through a bush. Ahead was a small clearing and there were noises coming from it. Gross, wet, ripping noises. He swallowed hard and strained to see. Through the trees he could make out a figure hunched over a dead deer. The figure was clawing at the deer's stomach and with a horrible realization he saw it was tearing off chunks and eating it.

Creed's eyes were narrowed as he watched the creature. It looked like a man. Thin and pale but strong looking. The man was bald and naked and might have passed for normal except Remy noticed it's hands were sharpened into claws and so were it's feet. Rather like Sabretooth himself. He wondered if the two shared DNA. He couldn't see the creature's face and guessed it might look human. He was drawn from his thoughts as Creed leaped forward and tackled the creature. In an instant it sprang backwards and Creed landed a few yards short. All around lay the scattered bodies of small forest creatures. Sabretooth looked at them disinterestedly and rose to his feet, hunched over and ready for battle.

Finally Remy got a good look at the creature's face. It might have looked like a man except that they eyes were much too deep set and dark and the nose was too flat and the mouth too big and the teeth. . . too sharp. All these things could almost be mistaken for the exaggerations of a caricature except that the reality was terrifying. If anything the creature looked like a mockery of humanity. It was tall too and it's limbs too long. It moved slowly, looking at Sabretooth with wide eyes devoid of all emotion.

Creed lunged again and this time the creature swiped at him. It missed but the damage it was capable of was obvious. It turned wildly and tried again but somehow was clumsy and uncoordinated. Then as if on a whim it turned and headed for Remy.

Gambit back tracked, crushing undergrowth as he did so. As soon as he realized he could not outrun the creature he grabbed a rock and threw it. The creature swerved to avoid it but the following explosion took it by surprise. It was knocked against a tree and looked dazed but then suddenly it was back on it's feet and as though it had no sense of self preservation. It flung it's self towards him again he threw a playing card this time only now the creature seemed to expect the explosion and avoided it.

With a roar Creed lunged again and this time managed to sink his claws into the creature's back. The monster let out a strangled cry and tore it's self away, shredding it's flesh more. In a wild frenzy the creature began retreating through the woods, howling wildly and angrily as it disappeared. Remy and Creed both gave chase and the two of them thundered after.

After a few moments of quick persute it became obvious that even injured the creature was still faster. Even with Creed's nose it became more difficult to track and it soon completely disappeared. The two stopped and back tracked to the road. Their bikes were just where they had left them, half hidden by the trees.

"What the hell was that?" Remy demanded furiously. "Is that a mutant?"

Creed snarled at him, angry at having lost his prey. "A mistake. Essex shouldn't have let it get away. It ain't human and it ain't a mutant 'neither." The he paused. "It's getting smarter. I seen it when he had it in a cage. If you hit it it just kept coming back. Never understood to run away when it got hurt."

Something about the things getting smarter was unsettling.

Remy light a cigarette to calm his nerves. The smoke filled his nose and mouth and he felt the tension ease up a little.

"Put that out." Creed snarled. "Gonna cover up the smell."

Bitterly Remy dropped the barely started cigarette and stomped it out. "What now?" He asked.

"We head on. There's a town on the other side of them woods. He'll be heading there next."

Remy hated the idea of that monster reaching a town. It would kill every man, woman and child in it and then it would kill their pets and anything else that lived there. "Better hurry then."

Creed took his time considering it. "Let him kill the town, we'll trap him there when he does."

"I ain't using the town as bait." Remy snarled.

"I don't give two shits what you're gonna do. It's what I'm gonna do and as I recall you aren't very good at stoppin' me."

"Creed. . ."

Remy swung up onto his motorcycle and headed off, he hoped to out run Creed. If he could make it to the town before either him or the creature he might be able to warn the people there. He sped on doing 120 mph as fast as his bike would go but Creed stayed level and as the sun began to set Creed overtook him.

He cured to himself and tried to make the bike go faster than it was capable. He willed it on only to have to suddenly slam on the brakes. Creed had parked horizontally across the road, blocking his way. To avoid a collision he swerved and slammed on the brakes. His bike went over and the wheels went out from under him. With a yell he kicked himself away from it, trying to avoid being crushed. He slammed into the pavement and rolled, bouncing as he went.

Creed let out a bark of laughter. "You ain't warnin' that town boy."

Remy gritted his teeth in pain as he finally came to a rest off the side of the road. "You can't let him kill those people." He grunted, pushing himself up on bleeding hands.

Creed swung a leg up over his own bike and took off with a roar of his engine.

Remy pushed himself to his feet and ran for his bike, setting it upright as he did so. He tried the engine and after the fifth time it spluttered to life. Both Creed and the creature had a head start. He gunned the engine again, not liking the rattling sound it was making. He was sure this would be the bike's last trip. That was a shame because he'd put a lot of time and work into the damn thing.

He reached town about an hour after sun down. Everything was still but there were no bodies in the street. He saw Creed's bike parked in front of the courthouse and headed for it but something in the shadows on the edge of town caught his attention. A figure was standing in the darkness. A tall figure with long arms and legs. The figure was moving slowly as if labored by pain.

Remy hesitated. He didn't know if he could take the creature alone. If he could incapacitate it at long distance he might have a shot but otherwise. . . he extended his bo staff and waited. He wasn't sure what to do here and now. If he engaged the creature and ended up in over his head there would be no back up. He would most likely be killed. If he tried to warn the town they most likely would not believe him. He was stuck in a rut between a half human creature and Sabretooth with a whole town to protect.


	3. Chapter 3

The creature moved slowly on the edge of town. Remy watched it from the shadow of a house. The lights were on inside and a tv was flickering. He stood outside the glow of light and watched the figure stumble along. He wondered where Sabretooth was and why he hadn't come and confronted the creature. Maybe the man really was going to let the town be killed. Even when he could prevent it. It sounded like something Sabretooth would do. He himself drew back and waited. The creature was starting towards a house on the end of town. It seemed to be having trouble figuring out how to get in. finally it used it's claws to cut through the door knob. That was when Remy stepped out of the shaddows and tossed a card into the garden. A small exploston went off next to the creature and it turned. It was walking more upright than the last time he'd seen it. It made it seem even taller.

The creature spotted him and after a moment's hesitation lunged towards him. He swung his bo staff towards it and struck it across the back. It was slower now. It's injuries were slowing it. Suddenly and with surprising speed it caught his staff mid swing. There was a crunch as he heard it's hand break but it didn't let go. Caught in a moment of surprise he failed to dodge as the creature swiped at him. At the last second he twisted away and it only managed to claw his shoulder and arm. He cried out in pain and then was knocked aside.

In a flurry of movement Creed came running towards them. He sank his claws into the creature's chest and dragged him to the ground. There was a high squealing noise as the creature cried out. Their claws ripped at each other and blood flew into the air. In a moment of anger and wild rage Sabretooth slashed at the creature's throat. His claws skimmed the surface drawling blood but failing to kill. Remy noticed in an instant that the creature was growing better at fighting. It grew more coordinated as it went and after a moment he saw it was beginning to learn the basics of tactics. Creed was right, the damn thing was getting smarter. Hell, it was learning!

The two animals rolled around on the ground and fought viciously. Creed swore and cursed and the creature made inhuman noises. At least twice Remy thought he heard an articulate word but he couldn'be sure. Finally the two broke apart and the creature retreated against the house. Creed snarled at him and lunged again. He was ready to kill.

Remembering what Sinister had said about bringing the creature back alive he yelled out. "Stop!" Creed hesitated for a moment and the creature struck, slashing at his abdomen. There was yelling and then Remy found both monsters lunging towards him. He dropped two cards and sprang backwards. The creature's eyes caught the explosion and it rolled away, clutching it's face. The light must have blinded it. It floundered and Creed turned from Remy to the creature again and slashed at it's stomach, mirroring the blow it had given him. He slashed again and again and the creature howled out in agony.

"Non, stop it!" Remy cried. "You'll kill it. Sinister wants it alive."

Creed growled but he stopped. The creature lay on the ground whimpering and hissing.

Tentatively Remy stepped towards it. It looked up and met his eyes, hissing. "Tie it up." He said quietly. Something was different in it's eyes and it unnerved him. There was more there than the last time. Maybe more intelligence maybe something else. He didn't know.

They dragged the creature into the woods and Remy stole a pick up from the town. They threw the creature in the back and put a tarp over it. It lay in the back bleeding and whimpering.

Stuck in a pick up between two killers Remy sat in the passenger's seat and stayed quiet. His shoulder was hurting badly and the one time he had tried to look at it Creed had sneered like that made him weak. He knew it wasn't that bad but it hurt regardless. He leaned heavily against the window and flexed his fingers. Creed glanced every now and then into the reerview mirror and checked on their captive. Occasionally there came a thump when the creature tried to move around. It moaned a few times and then when they were half way across the state it let out a loud yowl and Remy heard a sound he didn't like. A rustle and then a thump on the road behind him. The creature had thrown it's self over the side of the truck.

Creed slammed on the breaks and they hurried out. It was pitch black out as they searched. The creature had managed to slip the chains somehow. Maybe it was a lot smarter than they'd thought.

Remy looked around in the dark and spotted the monster running through the field ahead. It ran wildly and sloppily through the bean field. Creed took chase again and cursed loudly. The damn thing's persistence and inability to realize when it was defeated was insane.

In the distance Remy could see the first few rays of sunlight peak over the flat land. In a sudden moment of shock the creature stopped and stared into the light, eyes wide and somehow stunned.

Before Remy could stop him Creed sunk his claws into the creature's chest and there was a horrific tearing sound as he ripped upward, tearing the damn thing's throat out.

It fell to the ground and twitched for a few minutes before going limp and finally still.

"Damn it!" Remy swore.

Creed looked down at the thing in mild surprise. Then he shrugged and looked back at Remy with a grin. There was blood all over his hands and front. He grinned wickedly. "Oops.."

They stood for a while as dawn crept over them. Light finally spilled over the beans and illuminated the corps in the field. It lay still with blood blossoming down it's front. Then as thought it was just another day's work , Creed slung the corps over his shoulder and carried it back to the car. Leaving the green of the plants stained with blood.

Back in the truck they covered the body with the tarp and Remy sat quietly. His clothes and his shoulder were stiff with blood. He didn't mention it. Creed wouldn't have cared.

They drove to an old factory outside of Little Rock and then got out. It was a hot sunny day and Remy shucked his coat. He sat on the rail of the flat bed and waited while Creed went inside the factory to make a phone call. Not long after he came out and sat on an over turned crate.

"He comin'?" Remy asked.

Creed grunted. "He'll be here."

And sure enough about twenty minutes later Sinister appeared. From where he didn't know but the man finally arrived and Remy was that much closer to getting it over with.

Sinister looked under the tarp and clicked his tongue. "Victor, I said I wanted him alive."

Creed grunted. "Got a little carried away."

"Clearly. And it was your job to stop him." He said disdainfully, glancing at Remy who had moved his shoulder a little too enthusiastically and was now paying for it.

Remy shrugged his good shoulder.

"Pity, I had hopes for it. When you create something and it fails you, there is always a loss felt."

Remy light a cigarette. "I don' think it failed. You gave it a purpose when you created it an' it did jus' that. Only you got mad about it. Realized you made somethin' you couldn' control."

Sinister gave him a cold glare that seemed marred by the bright sun. "You can go your way, Mr. LeBeau." With a gesture of his hand Sabretooth came and removed the corpse, tossing Remy the keys.

Once the two were gone he tapped off his cigarette and stubbed it out before lighting another and starting up the engine. He headed back the way he'd come. Back to St. Louis. Half way there he thought that maybe somewhere else might do him some good. He wasn't ready for the east cost but Nashville was fine or maybe Atlantic City. He headed east and tried to forget the creature. Tried to forget the way it had looked at him with eyes that only registered a life to be taken and he tried not to think about what it had been growing into. It had gotten smarter as it went along. Who knew what kind of monstrosity it might have ended up as.

Things like that were better left in the dark recesses of Sinister's laboratories or better yet, not even existing. He shuddered at the thought and accelerated as he put distance between him and the foul world Sinister created. He'd escaped that a long time ago and he had no desire to go back.

Passing a sign saying he was in Mississippi he stepped on the gas. Somewhere else would be better, even if there was no where they couldn't find him. And anyway, he'd end up back with the X-Men soon enough, he might as well have some fun while he could.


End file.
